KUALA LUMPUR: The National Heart Institute (IJN) has won the annual Prime Minister's Innovation Award for its breakthrough achievements.

The award, which is into its third year, is the highest recognition for high-impact innovative achievements by public sector agencies.

It comes with a RM1mil reward and trophy.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who congratulated IJN for its achievements, said it was important to embrace creativity and innovation as it would help push government bodies and the country to greater heights, especially in the globalised world.

IPOH: Police have arrested five Indonesians, believed to have cheated a businessman over a diesel purchasing deal worth about RM900,000.

Perak police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said the suspects, aged between 25 and 45, had used a fake bank draft to buy about 100,000 metric tonnes of diesel from the 53-year-old last Thursday.

They also used a forged bank guarantee letter to convince the businessman on the validity of the draft from an Indonesian bank and that the payment had been transferred to the victim’s bank account, DCP Mohd Shukri said.

“While waiting for the goods to be delivered to Indonesia, the businessman felt suspicious and checked with his bank on the validity of the letter and transaction,” he told reporters yesterday.

Hundreds from the Rohingya refugee community turned up to support a humanitarian mission by the Putera 1Malaysia Club to help their ethnic group. They were led by chairman of the Union of World Rohingya Organisation, Rashed Osman.

The club will be leading the humanitarian mission to aid Rohingyas in Bangladesh and on the Thai-Myanmar border this Friday.

MALACCA: The mystery of a burqa-clad thief who tried to steal from an ATM before robbing a hypermarket outlet has been solved with the arrest of a 22-year-old former security guard.

The hype over the burqa-clad thief followed CCTV footage that showed the suspect attempting to pry open the ATM at a hypermarket in Bachang during its non-operational hours between 11pm and 8am on Aug 22.

The clip also showed the suspect, with his face and eyes partially covered, roaming around the hypermarket and trying to break into other outlets on the premises.

A man was shot dead by one of two robbers who were fleeing after robbing an internet cafe in Taman Jinjang Baru.

The 34-year-old victim, who was fetching his wife from work at the premise, was shot in the stomach and died while being rushed to the Selayang Hospital, said Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah Monday.

He said the robbers storm the internet cafe brandishing a pistol and a machete, and made off with RM2,000 in the 6.40am incident.

One of the robbers fired three shots at the victim, who went after them as they fled the scene on a motorcycle, Ku said.

MECCA: Malaysia supports the recommendation for the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to suspend the membership of Syria.

The suspension was a symbolic gesture to send a clear message to Syria on the need to take measures to stop the bloodshed, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“Our stand on the issue is in view of the serious deterioration of the conflict that could lead to a brutal civil war and in the search for a peaceful and lasting resolution,” he told Malaysian media covering the OIC Fourth Extraordinary Summit here yesterday.

PETALING JAYA: Haze continues to loom over parts of the country as the air quality took a further dip.

According to the Department of Environment (DOE), air quality in Tan- jung Malim reached an unhealthy level with an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 102.

It also showed that as at 5pm yesterday, 67% or 33 areas were experiencing moderate air quality, which is between the API reading of 51 to 100. On Monday, moderate air quality was recorded in 58% or 30 areas.

Yesterday, Banting in Selangor was dangerously close to reaching an unhealthy level with an API of 90.

MECCA: Malaysia wants Syria to be saved from any further destruction and feels the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should come out with a multi-pronged action to put an end to the conflict, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The Prime Minister said there should be more than just political pressure to end the conflict that has killed 21,000 people.

“It could include certain measures to save the people of Syria,” he said ahead of the OIC’s Fourth Extraordinary Summit here.

Good, safe and responsible driving is an obligation for everyone on the road. That is the serious part. The easy part is if you apply simple rules and techniques, it can become second nature. This not only helps you avoid mistakes but also avoid being the victim of other’s mistakes. Here we try to give you simple methods to avoid problems and be ready for those unexpected surprises.

We also have a section on Teen/First time driver advice for parents. How to approach the education of a new driver, what can be done to make it less stressful for both the teacher and driver and information about helping student drivers with ADHD.

If you are an experienced driver this can be a refresher…and honestly…we all can use it. If you are new driver this gives you the common sense methods to stay out of trouble until while learning as well as developing good techniques that once learned, become easy habits.

JPJ director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said 846 enforcement officers had been tasked with ensuring that motorists obey traffic rules in 96 locations, which had a high incidence of fatal traffic accidents. The rest would be monitored by the police.

“We will focus our efforts on motorcyclists and express bus drivers because these groups are the highest contributors to road accidents and fatalities, at about 60% to 65%,” he told reporters after inspecting enforcement efforts at the South Puchong toll plaza here yesterday.

Monday, 13 August 2012

SERDANG: Over 1,500 civilians have been roped in to help the police patrol the streets to safeguard empty houses during the coming Hari Raya holiday.

Selangor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah, who launched the citizen patrolling to prevent crime campaign yesterday, said the move was in line with the all-round safety approach set by the newly launched Ops Selamat.

Ops Selamat focuses on ensuring that house owners secure their properties before leaving for Hari Raya holidays as well as urging them to be safe on the road.

ALOR GAJAH: An early morning explosion damaged a bank in Masjid Tanah and sent shockwaves across the town, about 11km from here.

The blast resulted from a botched attempt to blow up an automated teller machine (ATM) at the Bank Rakyat branch in Taman Bandar Baru, where witnesses saw four men with full-faced helmets and black jackets fleeing the scene in two motorcycles at about 3.30am yesterday.

PETALING JAYA: With Hari Raya less than a week away, road and highway authorities are focusing on the key aspect of selamat (safety) for the balik kampung exodus.

With the country suffering losses of over RM10bil each year with about 7,000 deaths from accidents, mostly involving those in the productive age group of between 15 and 30 and during festive season, the emphasis is more on safety and prevention in addition to enforcement.

State Road Transport Department (JPJ) offices have begun checks on express buses and additional buses at depots on the condition of tyres, brakes and other crucial parts.

Of all weather phenomena, lightning is perhaps the most unacknowledged threat. Summer is peak season for lightning fatalities, which is why June 21 marks the commencement of Lightning Safety Week. Here, tips from the National Weather Service’s guide to lightning safety that will help you weather a storm:

3. Stay away from metal conductors such as wires or fences. Metal does not attract lightning, but lightning can travel long distances through it.

4. Have a lightning safety plan. Know where you’ll go for safety and how much time it will take to get there. Make sure your plan allows enough time to reach safety.

5. Postpone activities. Before going outdoors, check the forecast for thunderstorms. Consider postponing activities to avoid being caught in a dangerous situation.

6. Monitor the weather. Look for signs of a developing thunderstorm such as darkening skies, flashes of lightning or increasing wind.

7. Get to a safe place. If you hear thunder, even a distant rumble, immediately move to a safe place. Fully enclosed buildings with wiring and plumbing provide the best protection. Sheds, picnic shelters, tents or covered porches do NOT protect you from lightning. If a sturdy building is not nearby, get into a hard-topped metal vehicle and close all the windows. Stay inside until 30 minutes after the last rumble of thunder.

8. If you hear thunder, don’t use a corded phone except in an emergency. Cordless phones and cell phones are safe to use.

Thursday, 9 August 2012

The popularity and use of social networking sites both at home, work and on the go using all types of devices like PCs, Smartphones, Tablets to access these sites has increased at a phenomenal pace and to amazing levels. It is now a known fact that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others have become a part of our daily life / lexicon and all pervasive in business and personal settings. They are used for everything from prospecting to competitive intelligence to job searches to networking. More and more companies have started opening shop in Facebook, advertising on LinkedIn and providing deals on Twitter

While most uses have useful outcomes, some nefarious members end up using these social sites for undesirable purposes. Facebook, LinkedIn and other such sites strive hard to protect your information, but content is often revealed by accident or through unsolicited action and malicious intent.

Some steps for keeping yourself safe include:

1. Create a strong password. Easy to remember passwords but difficult to hack could be your extension number at work plus your car license plate, your mother’s phone number and her initials, a short form of your previous street address.

o Change all your passwords frequently – once every 60-90 days.

o Create unique passwords for every site. This way someone that has managed to hack one of your accounts does not automatically get access to all your other accounts.

2. Do not accept unknown friend requests. Unless you know someone well enough you should not trust them with your personal information.

KUALA LUMPUR: A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on how the police should handle media practitioners covering public rallies will be formulated soon.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said the SOP, to be announced in a month, would consider the views of media practitioners who covered the opposition-backed rally on April 28.

“The police and media must sit together to discuss the SOP. We want members of the media to give us suggestions as you were there and witnessed what actually transpired,” he said after a Ramadan function organised by Wanita Umno here yesterday.

KUALA LUMPUR: The management of hypermarkets and shopping complexes are encouraged to send their security personnel for training with the police, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong.

“The security personnel will be trained using the same modules of the auxiliary police, but they will concentrate on security in their environment,” he said after a walkabout at the Ampang Tesco shopping centre yesterday.

Lee also said plans to implement a “Car Park League Table” ranking system for shopping malls would include hypermarkets.

Wednesday, 8 August 2012

The people of Kelantan have endured for years without access to clean water and there is still no end in sight under the PAS-led state government.

Although the federal government had given a RM600 million interest-free loan to the state government to solve the water problem, Kelantan continued to be saddled with low water pressure and water disruption.

KUALA LUMPUR: Major government hospitals will adopt green technology to lower their electricity bills by next year.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said 28 government hospitals would be adopting several energy-saving methods to reduce electricity bills by 10%.

“We found that these hospitals had electric bills of RM115mil per year. This does not include smaller hospitals as there are 135 hospitals nationwide,” he told a press conference after the “Promise Me 2012” campaign launch by Truly Loving Company Sdn Bhd here yesterday.

Tuesday, 7 August 2012

KUALA LUMPUR: A company is spearheading a campaign to help charities reduce costs by going green.

The Truly Loving Company (TLC) Sdn Bhd will help 12 charities switch to energy-saving electrical and lighting appliances to reduce their bills through TLC Promise Me 2012 Campaign.

“Electricity costs can take up to 30% of charities' operating expenses.

“We want to give them a gift that keeps on giving a sustainable solution to their needs,” said TLC CEO and founder Julia Chong at the launch of the campaign with the theme “Where Aid Turns to Sustainability” or Project WATTS.

GEORGE TOWN: Thousands of residents in low-lying areas were hit by an early morning flood after a downpour that started at 3am.

Parts of Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Sungai Pinang, Jalan Patani, Jalan Air Itam and Jalan Datuk Keramat were flooded. The water level was knee-deep in some areas, and the situation was made worse by the high tide yesterday.

At least 3,000 people, mainly those living in the flood-prone areas of Datuk Keramat and Jalan P. Ramlee, were affected.

KUALA LUMPUR: A water crisis is imminent in Selangor with experts and non-governmental organisations predicting that the situation will become critical in two months’ time.

This was the feedback that the MCA presidential council was given yesterday.

Party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said currently, water reserves at all 34 treatment plants in the state were between 1% and 3%. Normally, it should be at about 20% to cater for the dry season.

“If there’s no rain for a week or two, all of us will be in trouble,” he said after chairing the council meeting yesterday. “The experts felt that the affected areas will be Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Petaling and Ulu Langat,” he added.

Friday, 3 August 2012

IPOH: Three kidnappers stopped their car and ran out, leaving their victim behind in the vehicle when they saw a police roadblock ahead of them in Tanjung Malim, more than 150km from here.

They tried to flee into a nearby jungle but was nabbed by the policemen who were manning the roadblock.

Two of the three kidnappers were wearing police volunteer reserve uniforms and police reflective vests.

Relating events leading to the arrests, Perak CID chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Mohd Dzuraidi Ibrahim told reporters the suspects had waved to the 53-year-old victim, a businessman, to stop at km120 of the Tanjung Malim-Behrang road at about 11.30am on Wednesday.